Driers



March 3, 1959 H. E. HULLAR 2,875,996

v DRIERS Filed July 5. 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 PI r3. 4-.

IN V EN TOR. H E RBERT E. HULL AR ATTURNEY' H. E. HULLAR March 3, 1959 DRIERS Filed July 5. 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. HERBERT'E.HULLAE ATTORNEY DRIERS Herbert E. Hullar, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Murray Corporation of America, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application July 5, 1955, Serial No. 519,711

' 3 Claims. Cl. 263-33) This invention relates to laundry driers, and more particularly to a gas drier of the tumbling type.

In driers of the type used for laundry drying, wherein at is heated by combustion of gas, it has been the practice to intermix the products of combustionwith the supply of air, and utilize the heated mixture as the drying medium, in direct contact with the laundry. While the combustion is complete and the products thereof are reasonably free fromdiscoloring or other detrimental elements, there is an inherent disadvantage in such pra tice, in that one of the products of combustion is moisture. Such driers in general are provided with lint traps, through which the exhaust air mixture must pass.

The varying degree of accumulation of lint in such traps interferes with the draft conditions, and tends to prevent stable operation, and the maintenance of optimum gas burner conditions. Further the presence of lint in the drying medium which is constituted in part by combustion products may become a hazard.

It is an object of the present invention to isolate the products of combustion of a gas fired laundry drier from the heated air used as a drying medium.

' It is a further object of the invention to provide separate passages for the drying medium and combustion products, until after the drying medium has traversed the lint filter, after which a common exhaust may be provided, and the exhaust air and combustion products brought together.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a heat exchanger for heating the drying air, and to provide a suitable means for drawing the heated air through the tumbling drum and lint filter and for thereafter delivering the air and combustion products to a common exhaust without creating unstable combustion conditions.

Another object of the invention relates to the dryer drum construction, andthe utilization of inlet and outlet chambers at opposite ends of the drum which chambers are held sealed by subatmospheric pressure.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings wherein, like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the drier cabinet;

Figure 2 is a vertical axial sectional view of the drier taken substantially on the plane 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the upper portion of the drier also taken substantially on the plane 22;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken forward of the rear bulkhead substantially on the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through United States Patent-Q "ice Patented Mar. 3,1959

the heater and heat exchanger substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail of the seal and latch for the cover shown in Figure 9; and

Figure 11 is a similar fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the hinge structure for the cover shown .in Figure 9.

In Figure 1 there is shown a cabinet having a front panel 20 with an access door 22, the panel extending to a lower service panel 24 and having an inward offset 26 providing toe space. The cabinet front panel 20 may wrap around either side to form the side panels such as 28 and 30, which side panels extend to the rear to join the rear closure panel 32. The cabinet has a top deck or cover 34 0n which there is mounted a control 36 and selector switches 38. There is also provided in the top a vent 40 and a flush access door 42 beneath which is located a lint filter in the form of a removable filter bag.

In Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the cabinet structure is supported from a frame or base comprising oppositely facing side channel members 44 and 46, such channel members being connected by forward and rearward channels 48 and 50. The channels 48 and 50 are connected by centrally disposed spaced stiffening channels 52 and 54. Mounted between the channels 52 and 54 toward the rear of the frame, is an upstanding bearing column 56.

Journalled in a bearing 55 in the upper end of the column 56 is a stub shaft 58, such shaft having at its rear end a drive pulley 60, and carrying on its forward' end, the rear wall 62 of the drier drum 64. The rear Wall of the drum is suitably braced by a circular plate 66. The outer drum wall '68 is imperforate and extends forward to an annular front wall 70, the front wall defining a circular opening aligned with a circular access aperture 72 in the front cabinet wall, such aperture being closed by the door 22. The wall 68 is provided with a plurality of baffies 69 in the form of folds, and the rear and forward walls are secured by elongated bolts 71 located in the folds formed by the baffles 69.

The forward annular wall of the drum is provided with a plurality of perforations 74 located in an annular such member being located radially outward from the plate 66.

The drum 64 is located between the front and rear bulkheads or partitions as is indicated at 86 and 88.

The partition 86 is secured to the side panels 28 and 30 by angle members such as 89 secured to the side panels of the cabinet. The partition 88 is likewise secured to the side panels by angle members such as 91 and 93. The forward partition '86 is provided with a U section annular flange 92 projecting into the access aperture formed by the flange :76 ofthedrumand vwall 70. The partition '86 has aflixed thereto an annular offset sectional member 24* to .provide .a radially outwardly extending annular :pocketto rceivethe free edge 96 f a felt .seal ring, one edge of which is aflixed to the flange 98 of the annular angle member 78.

The forward extending edge of the annular U section flange 92 is joined to a circular flange 100 of the substantially square door recess 102 by an-annular rubber gasket 104, such gasket having an outwardly flared annular tongue 106 adapted to engage the inner panel 108 of the door 22 when closed, so as toform a seal therewith. e

The partition 86 is provided with apertures 110 and 112 as shown in Figure 8 located adjacent to the annular area of perforations 74. A duct of angular shape formed by a hat section stamping 114, and a cooperating plate 113 issecured to the partition 86, the plate 113 having aperlures corresponding to apertures 110 and 112 for communioation with the drum perforations 74. The upper corner of the partition ,86 and the plate 113 are provided with a triangular aperture 116. Located behind the partition 86, and coupled with the aperture 116 is a chamber 120 adapted to contain a lint collecting filter bag 121. The chamber 118 is .of rectangular section lengthwise and is provided with a bottom sloping wall as indicated at 122 to clear the cylindrical wall of the drum 64. The chamber 120 is provided with a partition 124 having an outlet flange 126 upon which is mounted a sleeve adapter having anexternal groove for receiving the stretched open end of a, filter bag 128.

The chamber, at its rear end is provided with a perforate partition 130, and an outlet port 132 leading to the inlet of a centrifugal blower 134 mounted on the rear of the rear partition 88,'the outlet duct 136 of which extends to the vent 40. e

The upper side 123 of the filter chamber is provided with a rectangular opening 125 aligned with the door 42, the top deck having a depending flange 127 around the door opening, which extends through the aperture 125, there being provided a rectangular sealing gasket 129, having a door engaging lip 131. The door 42 is hinged as at 133, and provided with a push release latch 135.

The supply of air for drying purposes enters the cabmet through the open base, and is drawn into a heat exchanger having an air heating labyrinth passage 152, connecting with an air outlet duct 154, having an upwardly extending portion 156, extending alongside the column 56. The upper end of the duct lies against the rear panel 88, and the duct and panel .have an opening 158, as shown in Figure 4 which is aligned with the annular-region of perforations in the back wall of the drum.

The rear panel is provided with an offset annular ring 160, which forms an annular radially outwardly extending slot 162 into which is received'the free edge of a felt seal ring 164, secured to the flange of the angle member 84. The seal, and back panel 88, and back drum wall 62 thus form a chamber for distribution of heated air passing into the chamber through the aperture 158 from the duct 156.

The heat exchanger is provided with a separate labyrinth passage 166 for the products of combustion emanating from the gas burner 168 located therebelow, and mounted on the frame member 46. The products of combustion leave the heat exchanger through a duct 170, which extends to the outlet 136 of the centrifugal blower 134. The discharge of the centrifugal blower may be through the outlet grill 40 in the top panel, or through an aperture indicated at 172, which can be connected to an outside exhaust if desired, it being understood that the aperture 172 may be formed by a'knock out disc,

4 and in such event, the grill 40 will be replaced by a cover plate.

A motor 174 mounted jon a bracket 176 is provided with two pulleys 178 and 180, one being adapted to drive the blower by a belt 182, and the other driving a jack shaft pulley 184, which in turn drives the drum 64 by a belt drive from a pulley 186.

It will be seen that by the arrangement shown, the

combustion products of the gas burner are isolated from the heated air 'used for drying until after such heated air has passed through the lint trap. It will also be seen that the blower 134, being located on the outlet side of the drum 64 creates a vacuum in the system, all of which tends to hold the felt seals 96 and 164 against their respective panel faces, so as to prevent leakage. By reason of suction on the outlet, the lint chamber includ ing the lint collecting filter bag is held at somewhat below atmospheric pressure so that lint is confined to the ducts and forced to enter the filter bag in any event.

By the use of a solid cylinder, with inlet and outlet chambers ateither end in part formed by side Wall supported partitions, the necessity of a shell surrounding the drumis eliminated, permitting a large drum, in a given space. Further the drum being imperforate does not have the tendency to generate lint, as is found prevalent in perforate drum driers. It will-also be seen that the parts are largely composed of sheet stampings economical to manufacture and assemble.

While a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry drier comprising a rectangular base, a rectangular cabinet structure supported thereon, having front and side walls, an upstanding bearing column mounted on the base centrally of and to the rear thereof, a tumbling drum journalled on said column comprising an imperforate outer wall, a rear end wall, and an annular front end wall providing a circular central access opening, each of said end walls having an annular perforate region, front and rear partitions supported from the side walls and mounted adjacent the drum front wall and rear Wall respectively, annular seals between each of said partitions and their respective adjacent drum walls located outwardly of said perforate regions, providing drum outlet and inlet chambers, an outlet duct leading from said outlet chamber through a filter trap to a blower having an exhaust, an inlet duct leading to said inlet chamber, having a heat exchanger therein, a gas burner and means for leading the products of combustion through said heat exchanger and to said blower exhaust.

2. A laundry drier comprising a rectangular base, a rectangular cabinet structure supported thereon, having front and side walls and a top wall, an upstanding hearing column mounted on the base centrally of and to the rear thereof, a tumbling drum journalled on said column comprising an imperforate outer wall, a rear end wall, and an annular front end wall providing a circular central access opening, each of said end walls having an annular perforate region, front and rear partitions supported from the side walls and mounted adjacent the drum front wall and rear wall respectively, annular seals between each of said partitions and their respective drum walls located outwardly of said perforate regions, providing drum outlet and inlet chambers, a lint collection chamber located to one side and immediately below said top wall and having a removable porous bag filter therein, and a door in the top wall for said lint chamber providing access thereto, a conduit from said outlet chamber 5 to said lint chamber, and suction means for drawing air through said drum, conduit and lint chamber.

3. A laundry drier comprising a rectangular base, a rectangular cabinet structure supported thereon, having front and side walls, an upstanding bearing column 5 mounted on the base centrally of and to the rear thereof, a tumbling drum journalled on said column comprising an imperforate outer wall, a perforate rear end wall, and a perforate annular front end wall providing a circular central access opening, front and rear partitions supported from the sidewalls and mounted adjacent the drum front wall and rear wall respectively, annular seals between each of said partitions and their respective drum walls circumscribing the perforations of said end walls providing drum outlet and inlet chambers, an outlet duct leading from said outlet chamber having a blower therein, an

inlet duct leading to said inlet chamber having a gas fired heat exchanger, a discharge outlet for said blower, and means for delivering the combustion products of said heat exchanger to said discharge outlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,486,058 Patterson et al Oct. 25, 1949 2,521,712 Geldhof Sept. 12, 1950 2,617,203 Murray Nov. 11, 1952 2,681,513 Fowler June 22, 1954 2,814,130 Cayot Nov. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 813,843 Germany Sept. 17, 1951 

